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Google first 100 billion dollar brand



Contents

The Article

2

Warm-ups

3

Before Reading / Listening

4

While Reading / Listening

5

Listening Gap Fill

6

After Reading / Listening

7

Student Survey

8

Discussion

9

Language Work

10

Writing

11

Homework

12

Answers

13

1st May, 2009

THE ARTICLE

Google just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The search engine giant is not only the world's biggest brand, it is also the first brand worth $100 billion. A report from the market research firm Millward Brown shows Google has kept its position as the world's most powerful brand. It valued the company at $101.4 billion. This is 25 per cent higher than its biggest rival Microsoft, which is the second most valuable brand. The "Top 100 Most Powerful Brands" report lists Coca Cola at number three, followed by IBM and McDonalds. Technology companies make up eight of the top ten. Google's brand is helped because it is now also a verb in everyday use. It is very common to hear people say "Google it" when they want some information.

The report is the world's largest study of what consumers and businesses think of brands. It says a brand name is key for any business to grow. "A strong brand can help protect a business from risk, and position it for future growth," it says. The authors believe a strong brand name is "the ultimate return on investment". Joanna Seddon, chief executive of Millward Brown, told reporters: "In the current [economic] environment, brand has become even more important because it can help to sustain companies in tough times." Her report says brand value has grown, even through the recession: "The value of brands remains strong...the total value of the top 100 most valuable brands has increased to just under $2 trillion."

Google first 100 billion dollar brand ? 1st May, 2009

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2

WARM-UPS

1. BRANDS: Walk around the class and talk to other students about brands. Change

partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are

most interesting and which are most boring.

Google / search engines / brands / market research / rivals / technology companies / consumers / businesses / risk / investment / tough times / recession / $2 trillion

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. BRANDS: What do you think of these brands? Give them a score from 1 (terrible)

to 10 (excellent). Complete this table. Share your answers with your partner(s). Change partners and share again.

Brand Google McDonalds Nokia BBC Ferrari Chanel

Logo

Product

Advertising

4. GOOGLE: Students A strongly believe Google is the most useful website on the

Internet; Students B strongly believe there are other, more useful websites than Google. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. RIVALS: Which of these rivals are best. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

? Google / Microsoft ? BBC / CNN ? Coca Cola / Pepsi Cola ? Master Card / Visa

? Ford / Toyota ? Nintendo / Sony ? Gucci / Chanel ? British English / American English

6. SEARCH ENGINE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words

you associate with the term `search engine'. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

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BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article's headline and guess whether these sentences

are true (T) or false (F):

a. Google is the world's most valuable brand. b. Google is named the world's most powerful brand for the first time. c. McDonalds is the fifth most powerful brand in the world. d. "To Google" is now part of the English vocabulary. e. A report says a company's brand name is actually not that important. f. The report says a brand name can help a company grow in the future. g. The report says tough times help a brand to become more important. h. The value of brands worldwide has decreased to just under $2 trillion.

T / F T / F T / F T / F T / F T / F T / F T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. giant 2 firm 3. kept 4. helped 5. common 6. study 7. protect 8. return 9. current 10. remains

a. maintained b. present c. usual d. research e. company f. profit g. colossus h. stays i. aided j. safeguard

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more

than one. combination is possible):

1. Google just keeps 2 The search 3. It valued the company 4. Technology companies make 5. it is now also a verb in 6. what consumers and businesses 7. a brand name is key 8. help protect 9. it can help to sustain companies 10. increased to just

a. at $101.4 billion b. everyday use c. in tough times d. for any business to grow e. getting bigger and bigger f. under $2 trillion g. think of brands h. engine giant i. a business from risk j. up eight of the top ten

Google first 100 billion dollar brand ? 1st May, 2009

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WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Google just keeps __________ bigger and bigger. The search engine giant is not only the world's biggest brand, it is also the first brand __________ $100 billion. A report from the market research firm Millward Brown shows Google has kept its __________ as the world's most powerful brand. It __________ the company at $101.4 billion. This is 25 per cent higher than its biggest rival Microsoft, which is the second most valuable brand. The "Top 100 Most Powerful Brands" report lists Coca Cola at number three, __________ by IBM and McDonalds. Technology companies __________ up eight of the top ten. Google's brand is helped because it is now also a __________ in everyday use. It is very __________ to hear people say "Google it" when they want some information.

followed verb

worth valued common getting position

make

The report is the world's largest __________ of what consumers and businesses think of brands. It says a brand name is __________ for any business to grow. "A strong brand can help protect a business from risk, and position it for future __________," it says. The authors believe a strong brand name is "the ultimate __________ on investment". Joanna Seddon, chief executive of Millward Brown, told reporters: "In the __________ [economic] environment, brand has become even more important because it can help to sustain companies in __________ times." Her report says brand value has grown, even through the recession: "The value of brands __________ strong...the total __________ of the top 100 most valuable brands has increased to just under $2 trillion."

growth remains

key current

value study return tough

Google first 100 billion dollar brand ? 1st May, 2009

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5

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